Strainer



Fehze, 1944. Tg WHEATLEY 2,342,774

y STRAINER 1 Filed July 22, 1941 me/Mo@ W10/w45 M/Hu ngy Patented Feb. 29, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRAINER Thomas Wheatley, Houston, Tex..

Application July 22, 1941, Serial No. 403,497

k (Cl. 210-167) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a strainer.

An object of the invention is to provide a strainer of the character described specially designed to be incorporated into a liquid conducting line, such as an oil pipe line, for arresting and collecting foreign matter in the liquid-without interference with the ow of the liquid through the line.

Another object of the invention is lto provide a strainer of the character described embodying a forminated basket, or straining element, which may be readily located in the line and readily removed for repairs or replacements.

It is another object of the invention to provide a strainer of the character described equipped with a collector for collecting the foreign matter arrested by the strainer, the collector being of such construction that the collected foreign matter may be readily removed without interfering with or stopping the flow of the liquid through the line.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a strainer of the character described, a collector for the foreign matter with ymeans for discharging the collected foreign matter from the collector, provision being also made for equaliz'- ing the pressure in the strainer and inthe collector to conduce to the easy voperation of 'the collector.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given lin this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the strainer.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view takenon the line 2--2 of Figure l.`

Figure 3 shows a fragmentary side elevation, and

Figure 4 shows an end View.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate the same parts in each of the igures,.the numeral I- designates a casing which is approximately tubular in formy and which has the tubular end connections 2, 3 for the connection of adjacent sections, as 4, 5 of a pipe line thereto.

The casing has a removable cover plate 6 bolted or otherwise secured thereto which may be removed for access into the interior of the casing.

Within the casing and adjacent its ends, and preferably cast integrally therewith are the webs l, 8 which upstand from the bottom of the casing and which are formed with the half-roundcla-mp members 9, Ii). The web 8- is spaced a distance from the discharge end of thev casing asshown in Figure 1. The arcuate clamp members 9, I0 have the out-turned flanges II, II and I2, I2.on opposite sides thereof as shown in Figures l` and 2.

There are the complementary removable halfround clamp members I3, I4 having the outturned end flanges -I 5, I5 and I5, I as also shown in Figures 1 and 2, said flanges. I5 and lliv being bolted to the flanges Il and I2 underneath.

There is a skeleton framework for the strainer element I1, said skeleton framework `comprising the upstream and downstream end rings I8 and I9 to which the corresponding ends of the cylindrical strainer element I1 are secured in any preferred manner. The outer ends of the rings It and I9 are reduced and clamped between the clamps 9 and I3 at the upstream end and the clamps I0, I4 at the downstream end, as shown in Figure 1. The downstream end of the strainer element I'T is closed by means of a perforated plate such as 2U which is suitably secured within the ring I9. The upstreamy end of the strainer element I'I is open, as shown in Figure' 4, and is in alignment with the section 4 of the' pipeline.

Liquid flowing through the line in the direction of the arrow located in Figure 1 will be forced to pass through the screening element through the downstream end plate 25 forming a partv thereof so that all foreignr matter inthe liquid will be arrested.

Cast integrally with, or if desired otherwise secured thereto', and depending from the casing l there is a cylindrical' housing 2| which is of approximately the same length as that of the casing. It has the end plates 22, 23 secured to the respective endsthereof. Fitted closely within the housing there' is a cylindrical collector '21S attached to one end of which there is a stern 25 which works throughv a stuffing box 26 in the end plate 22 and whose outer end is polygonal to receive a wrench by means of which it may be turned. The other end of the collector abuts closely against the end plate 23. Thev end plate 23 has a central' openingtherethrough and leading out from it there is a drain pipe 2'I'which may be opened and closed by a suitable gate valve 28'.

The lower side of the screening element II has a longitudinal opening 29. and on` opposite sides ofl this opening are the longitudinal webs 3D, 3i) forming a part of the skeleton framework for the screening element and whose lower margins t closely against the wall of the casing asvshown in Figure 2.

I1 and The collector contains a chamber 3| which extends from the end of said collector adjacent the end plate 23 a major portion of the distance toward the other end of the collector and leading from the upstream end of this chamber on to the upstream end of the collector there is a channel 32.

There is a relatively wide longitudinal slot 33 through the side of the collector and the bottom of the casing I between the webs 30 has a similar slot 34, said slots being in registration during the normal operation of the strainer as shown in Figure 2. Accordingly, the foreign matter flowing into the straining element will settle down through the slots 34 and 33 and will be collected in the collecting chamber 3| but the liquid will pass on out through the screening element into the casing and will pass thence on out` through the section of the pipe line.

During normal operations the valve 28 closed.

Should it be desired to cleanse the collecting chamber 3| the collector 24 may be turned a quarter turn in the direction indicated .by the arrow in Figure 4. 'I'his will close the slot 34 and during this operation the ow of liquid through the pipe line will not be interfered with. The valve 28 may then be opened and the liquid in the collecting chamber 3|, being under pressure, will automatically discharge the contents of the collecting chamber out through the discharge line 21. As illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 there is a pipe 35 which is connected, at one end, into the interior of the casing through the upstream connection 2 and is also connected into the interior of the housing 2| through the end plate 22. It has a shut-olf valve 36 by means of which it may be opened or closed. There is an inwardly turned bore 31 through the end plate 22 with which the slot 32 registers when the collector 24 is turned into position to close the slot 34 as shown in Figure 4. Should the internal pressure in the collecting chamber 3| be insuiicient to completely cleanse the same, the valve 36 may be opened and liquid under pressure from the pipe line will be admitted through the pipe 35, the bore 31 and the channel 32 into the collecting chamber 3| to cleanse the same.

The valve 28 may then be closed and the valve 36, allowed to remain open so as to equalize the pressure within the casing and housing 2| so that the collector 24 ma7 be readily turned and said collector may then be turned back to original position as shown in Figure 2 and the Valve 36 then closed and the normal collection of foreign matter from the liquid nowing through the line resumed.

All of the above operations may be carried on during the normal flow of liquid through the pipe line.

The drawing and description are illustrative merely while the broad principle of the invention will .be deiined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A strainer comprising a casing adapted to win be from within the screening element into said chamber through which the arrested foreign matter may pass into the chamber, said collector being turnable to close the passageway to trap the contents of the chamber and retain the same under pressure.

2. A strainer comprising a casing adapted to be connected into a liquid conducting line, a cylindrical element in the casing arranged to arrest foreign matter in the liquid iiowing through the line, a rotatable collector having a chamber therein provided with an outlet, said strainer having a passageway from within the screening element into said chamber through which the arrested foreign matter may pass by gravity into the chamber, said collector being turnable, formed to close the passageway to trap the contents of thechamber and to maintain the same under pressure, means normally closing the outlet and be connected into a liquid conducting line, a cymovable to open position to permit discharge of the contents of the chamber through said outlet and a valve controlled conduit leading from the upstream end of the casing and connected into the chamber through which liquid under pressure may be introduced into said chamber to expel the contents thereof.

3. A strainer comprising a casing adapted to be connected into a line for conducting liquid under pressure, a cylindrical straining element in the casing arranged to arrest foreign matter in the liquid iiowing through the line, a collector housing, a movable collector in the housing having a chamber provided with an outlet, a valve for opening and closing the outlet, the lower side of the strainer having a passageway leading from within the screening element into the chamber, means for moving the collector into position to close the passageway and to enclose the chamber and trap the arrested foreign matter therein to be discharged therefrom by pressure through the outlet and means for applying additional pressure from the line to the foreign matter entrapped in the closed chamber.

4. A strainer comprising a casing adapted to be connected into a liquid conducting line, and having tubular end connections, a removable cover plate on the casing, a skeleton frame work within the casing, a tubular cylindrical screening element supported on the skeleton, clamps at the ends of the skeleton frame Work for clamping said framework and screening element in fixed position with the screening element spaced from the casing walls and approximately co-axial with said tubular end connections, the up stream end of the screening element being open, a foraminated partition closing the down stream end of the screening element, a cylindrical housing iixed beneath the casing, a rotatable, cylindrical, collector tted closely within the housing, means for turning the collector, said collector having a collecting chamber, said strainer having a bottom passageway leading from wtihin the screening element into said collecting chamber, through which foreign matter may pass, by gravity, from within the screening element into said chamber, said collector being rotatable to one position to maintain said passageway open and to another position to close the passageway to trap the contents of said chamber therein, said chamber having an outlet and a valve controlling the outlet.

THOMAS WHEATLEY. 

